This invention relates generally to aircraft communication, and more particularly to secure information exchange between aircraft at an airport.
The amount of software and data in onboard airplane information systems is growing at a rapid pace. Onboard airplane information systems use software and data for cabin systems, avionics, and inflight entertainment systems, among other things. Some software and data may be common across commercial aircraft type and an airline fleet. Airlines are responsible for frequently and timely refreshing all data and software of their aircraft fleet.
The availability of aircraft WiFi or cellular links and airport-based and Internet-based software and data distribution servers streamlines the process of managing large software and big data of aircraft. However, such solutions are limited by the cost of managing airline-owned distribution servers at airports, reliance on Internet connectivity to reach airport-owned distribution servers, and dependence on the last-mile wireless networking availability and throughput at airports.
Moreover, there are some commercial aircraft data that cannot be sent via wireless networks due to regulations governing aircraft communications. Such regulations may some day require that certain types of data, such as aircraft encryption keys, only be transferred to an aircraft when the aircraft is parked at an airport gate and other conditions are met. The other conditions may include the aircraft being connected to power via an airplane power stinger at a specific gate.
In addition, any unexpected delays from disruptions in infrastructure availability or performance, such as network or Internet outages and slow Internet connectivity, will degrade flight turn-around performance of an airline fleet. Furthermore, some airports do not have access to the Internet and/or do not have suitable network infrastructures. At such airports, airlines may be forced to fall back to the performance levels of legacy-based mechanisms, e.g., CD-based data/software distribution.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems that enable secure information exchange between aircraft at an airport. More specifically, such methods and systems should enable communication between aircraft without dependence on servers or the Internet.